The Cecil Whig., 1887-05-21
IS IT A CRIME TO OWN LAND2
EN JOHN PHILIP PHILLIPS.
ItLrt IL

Plrt H.
/ On the average, throughout conSidera-
| bic pcrlofS of time the ''unearned incre-
| mCnt' Of money tar exceeds any rise that
has ever occurred in the value of land
II land increased in value faster than
money at interest, men could incur debts
equal to the purchase price of land and
| sJili make "a fortune from the rise of real
estate. ga few Shrewd persons, under ex-
ceptional circumstances, have made
noney by running largely in debt for
land; but an overwhelming majority OF
| such debtors have become bankrupt
undoubtedly, there are numerous instan
Ces Of individuals growing rich from
| their land, III particular locations aud
| under Spt clal circumstances, rising to "A
value greater than its total cost. But in
connection with this, several facts should
be couSidered:
Frst-The land that has SO risen in
| value forms comparatively small por-
ton OF the total amount. Profitable in
| Vestmcnts i'll land are more or less bal
anced by others iii which losses have been
sustained. Success is proclaimed with
trumpets. Failure silently passes into
| obllvien.
Second Under rhe American system
| of law, nearly all the lands which have
prOtitably risen i'll value, have each and
every day, while this rise was in pro
g'esS, been for sale at their market price
On those different ays. Those who in
vested capital in other forms did SO be-
cause, IN their Judgment, such invest
ments would yield Il larger profit than
land. If the ownership of land bring
such great profit as some imagine. why
| Is 1t tnat 50 large a portion of our popu-
| latlon Is averse to owning real estate and
beStOwlng labor upon it? Some kinds
Of business can ouly be engaged in by a
comparatively small number of persons,
possessing IA franchise, a large capital,
special skill, or all those requisites. But
a man may become real estate owner,
| with very small capital without
charter and without first making large
expenditure of time and money in mas
terng the principles and details of spe-
| claI business. Moreover, no Limitation
is placed Gu the number of persons who
| may own land. Notwithstanding all
this, many wealthy persons prefer not to
own their homes or places of business;
| and many of the richest firms in the
world have nothing whatever invested in
| ifiilN ap "a oo'iiSt vi Fio.ib
mulritudes OF the poorer classes prefer
TO be tenants at d high rent IN crowded
cities, rather than to live in the country
on land of their own or in villages at
low rent. So long as mankind will per
sist III herdlng together in great mum
oerS within narrow limits, the demand
Tor spece and shelter wl.hln those limits
must be great and the rates of rent pro-
portionally high. No scneme can ob
| yiate this.
TniId-Mauy investments in land
8hicn al nrsJ sight appear profitable, are
| found not 50, "nen computation is
| made OF the expenses incurred for taxes
| grading, sewers, pavemeuts, buildings,
and the interest on all sums so expended
Tne apparently profitable land has sim
| ply served as ID savings bank into which
| money and labor were continually put
and allowed to remain undisturbed at a
low rate of interest. Many families,
moderately rich long ago, have largely
increased their wealth by steadily keep
| lug all their available means, for two or
| three generations, invested in real estate
within growing cities In most such cases,
| the yearly percentage of the rise of the
| land has been less than its price would
have returned if otherwise well invested.
| The final result is due to the fact that
| the temptation to consume income has
| been less, because the profits were con-
| JInually IN form of the same real estate
with an enhanced value. Three per cent.
saved Increases an estate more than nine
per cent. received and spent.
Fourth-lnvestments both of money
and labor, are constantly being made in
a great variety OF forms which not only
repay the amount SO invested, and fair
interest thereon, but also yield profit.
This profit, which may be called "un-
earned increment of business, is chiefly
| due to the cause which is most potent in
enhancing the value of land, viz: the ad-
vance i'll science, art, mechanical skill,
and kindred things which are at once a
| source and a portion of the progress of
mankind. Those who enjoy comforts
and Injuries, or receive profits from per-
sOnal property, which would have been
impossible without the steadily ipcreas-
ing mastery over natural forces and con-
sequenf wealth which society is acquir-
ing, occupy position similar to those
who gain 10y a rise in the value of land
An increase in the value OF land, in a
gwen place, inevitably occurs simultan-
eously with the development of invention
a better quality and greater variety OF
personal property, and greater ease of
| obtaining the neceSsarieS of life.
| Within reasonable hmlts Is not man
whose intelligence, savings and labor
form one of the factors of the general
Increase of the worlds wealth, and who
contributes to the individual comfort and
wealth of others, entitled to a share of
this additional wealth? On the average,
those whose capital and mental and ply
seal labor are devoted to the care and
| Improvement of land contribute as much
to the comfort and wealth of those whose
means and energies are spent in adding
value to personal property, as these
| latter persons contribute to the wealth of
land owners. To those familiar with the
hard facts OF the life of farmers, it seems
iudicrously absurd to imagine that their
ownership OF land makes them "a class
| with special privileges" On the aver
age, no class of persons has filled more
hours with hard labor for each dollar S
worth of property they possess, than the
farmers; and no class has contributed
more to the general welfare and pros
perity of the country.
Some persons imagine that the rich
have obtained their wealth by monopol-
iZing land, thus levying tribute from a
large number of persons. But little
reflection will show that such conduct
is ordinarily only possible to those who
are alrC ady rich. The rich men of this
country have mostly become so by them
selves or their ancestors dealing in per-
sonal property. More than half the total
wealth OF the United States is owned IL
a few cities, and is chiefly in the hands
of persons skilled in buying managing
and selling personal property. To such
men it matters but little who owns the
land. SO long as they can compel all the
products of both land and labor to pay
them liberal commission for their ser
vices in handling and distributing such
products to the consumers thereof. Fair
payment for such services is equitable
But value equal to about one fifth the
total wealth of this country is yearly
produced, and slight percentage of
| overcharge for services rendered in its
distribution amounts to 4 very large sum
The first thing sought by bright young
man, eager Ter great wealth, is not the
ownership OF land, hut position where
the valuable things created by the labor
of large number OF persons upon land
and its products, shall constantly and
speedily pass through his hands and pay
toll for their passage.
A large portion of the products of land
and labor are created and distributed by
ASSOCIATION with two things: Money and
It's representatives, and Transportation
III It's varl"nS forms; and TRANSFORMATION
properly includes the passage of goods